The Story Through the Bible Exod 4

The call begins

If we remember last time the call of Moses starts here at the burning bush and he has some more formal and humble objections like “Who am I that I should do this?” God doesn’t answer regarding who Moses is but tells Moses that God will be with him. There is a little bit of objection from Moses in his concern for whether or not he would be believed. After all this is a rather incredible thing happening why should someone believe him? This isn’t the same humble who am I it feels more like that uncertainty for what will happen kind of objection. We shouldn’t get the impression here that Moses doubts God’s promise but that the people he’s has to go convince - the leaders of Israel - that God’s promises are still in effect may not believe it.

Exodus 4:1 ESV

Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’ ”

Moses gets 3 signs to handle this concern, first:

Exodus 4:2–5 ESV

The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. But the Lord said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail”—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— “that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

Now his staff which he presumably carries with him everywhere is available to show the power of God. As the story later continues this same staff ends up representing God’s power that he has given Moses the use of. This change can seemingly be done and undone anytime Moses likes.

Exodus 4:6–8 ESV

Again, the Lord said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak.” So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. “If they will not believe you,” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign.

Here we have disease and God’s power over it. “leprous” in the Bible covers a fairly large amount of diseases that later get described in the laws but across the world were considered very serious and virtually every society had some rules about how to handle people with these types of disease collectively just called leprosy. This too seems to be something Moses is granted to ability to do at will and change back to normal. It’s the sort of thing people all over would have appealed to a god to have healing but here Yehova God shows he has power over disease.

Exodus 4:9 ESV

If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”

The last isn’t a little different it doesn’t have an undo move. It takes the Nile and turns it to blood a hint at what is to come but also a sign that Yehova God is more powerful that one of the major gods of Egypt specifically Hapi - which is also their name for the Nile River. Hapi was a manwoman god that fertilized (male) and nourished (female) the land and was a main deity for a very long time in Egypt.

Now we get into the real objections from Moses.

First objection:

Exodus 4:10 ESV

But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.”

This objection has unfortunately been taken in a literal since by many which I think is wrong. I also don’t like the word literal but that’s another rant.

Exodus 5. Moses’ Ritual and Actual Protests and Divine Reassurance (4:10–18)

Gen 18:27

This like many other examples in the bible are exagerated humility - not a negative thing just the normal response to being tasked with a huge responsibility.

The LORD’s answer:

Exodus 4:11–12 ESV

Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”

Again turning back to God being the true worker through those he chooses. This exemplifies that third point of this book that God sovereignly shows his glory.

The second objection angers God.

Exodus 4:13 ESV

But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.”

Unlike all his prior protests, who am I, I don’t know your name, I can’t speak well, this is a departure. He’s not following this up about his inability or lack he’s just trying to refuse God’s call. Later Jonah another prophet called by God tries to refuse and we get a similar pattern in the rest of this chapter.

Refusal - death penalty faced - prophet learns the lesson - God spares him - God renews the call - Prophet cooperates - Call is successful with the audience

God is not happy about the attempted refusal of Moses

Exodus 4:14–17 ESV

Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”

Now we have a co-worker in God’s plan. From this whole story we really only see Aaron speaking early on then he’s not the one doing the majority of the speaking. He’s essentially the grace that God extends for Moses to have confidence and do what he’s called to do. Aaron might be called the fish of Jonah’s story that gets him to the shores to actually fulfill his calling. I’m stretching a bit to be sure. Another parallel that I would point out in this setup is that we seem to have God revealing himself, the prophet receiving revelation, and a repeater speaking to the people. I see a parallel to us today in God as revealer, the scripture the received revelation and believers the repeaters who are called to speak to the people. It’s certainly a roll that Pastors are called to and easy to see when we’re up at the front of a church but it should be understood as well for all of God’s people who are called to tell others about Jesus too.

We basically conclude the encounter with verse 18

Exodus 4:18 ESV

Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Please let me go back to my brothers in Egypt to see whether they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”

Then we get the story of how this plays out. Exod 4:19-20

Exodus 4:19–20 ESV

And the Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” So Moses took his wife and his sons and had them ride on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the staff of God in his hand.

No one want’s him dead anymore he’ll be safe from that issue of killing the Egyptian. Moses takes his whole family - he’s not just going on a short term mission here he’s returning to be an Israelite.

Exodus 4:21–23 ESV

And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’ ”

Here we get another sneak peak on what’s going to happen ahead of time. Notice two things God will harden pharoah’s heart and God will take their firstborn for the refusal to let his firstborn (people of Israel) go. This is before any interractions with Pharaoh.

Exodus 4:24–26 ESV

At a lodging place on the way the Lord met him and sought to put him to death. Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.

This seems a strange interjection but without going into a lot about it we can put this to understanding that this was an all in moment.

Exodus 4:27–28 ESV

The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which he had sent him to speak, and all the signs that he had commanded him to do.

Now we get Aaron into the picture and they meet at Mt. Sinai. Sent by God to excplicitly here but hinted at back in vs 14. Aaron is caught up on the plan and seems to be in agreement since he continues on.

Exodus 4:29–31 ESV

Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel. Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.

We skip the whole entry into Egypt etc and get right to it. Aaron fulfills his role and the people of Israel receive the word.

Of the parallels we see the call of God must be answered. We are all called at the end of Matthew

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”