Exo 4:1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.
Moses knew that he himself was not able to lead Israel out of Egypt. He needed to hear from God how he would be with him to accomplish this and how they would receive him.
Exo 4:2 And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.
Exo 4:3 And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.
Exo 4:4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:
Exo 4:5 That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.
The LORD performed a miracle using what Moses had, a rod. He will use you too in the things that you are familiar with, your tools, your education, your natural abilities. He in you will give you a supernatural ability to do his work. Many of you know personally what God has been able to do through you. You have greater abilities because of his presence with you. Let him use you for his glory.
David used what he was familiar with, a sling, to defeat Goliath.
Exo 4:6 And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.
Exo 4:7 And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.
He is able to bring healing to you and to keep you alive for his purposes. He is also able to bring a disease upon you if you are sinful. Moses' sister Miriam was given leprosy because she wanted to replace Moses, God's anointed servant.
Num 12:10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.
Num 12:13 And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.
Num 12:14 And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again.
Num 12:15 And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.
Moses was also the intercessor between God and his people.
Exo 4:8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
Exo 4:9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.
The LORD shows Moses what will happen in Egypt because of unbelief. Signs and wonders were to show the unbeliever the power of God and to Israel they were reassuring signs that God was with them.
1Co 1:20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
1Co 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
1Co 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
1Co 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
1Co 1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
1Co 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Exo 4:10 And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
Exo 4:11 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?
Exo 4:12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
It is about trusting the LORD. We too often doubt our abilities, but remember if the LORD has called you to do something he will give you his abilities. Moses was not to speak his own words,. but he was to speak the word of God. Often a servant of God will not take the praise of people for their service, because the praise and glory belongs to God. Jesus spoke of the enabling of God to speak in you.
Mat 10:19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
Mat 10:20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
Exo 4:13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.
Moses was saying; send someone, but not me. Send someone else.
Exo 4:14 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.
Exo 4:15 And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.
Exo 4:16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.
Exo 4:17 And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.
The LORD arranged for Aaron to be his spokesman. The LORD knew ahead of time what Moses would say; Aaron was on his way. The LORD knew ahead of time that we would need Jesus as our savior, and he provided for our salvation.
Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Moses would hear from God and then share with Aaron who would speak the word of God from Moses to the people.. There was a chain of authority from God to moses to Aaron and then to the people. Moses had the greater anointing of God. Aaron would use the rod of Moses to do the signs.
Exo 4:18 And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.
By marriage Jethro became a father in law to Moses. Moses had worked for him, now he is asking permission to leave. Jethro releases him to go in peace. When we work for someone and the time has come to go somewhere else we usually give them a two week notice. If we were to just quit and not show up, it would be a bad reference for us. We are to acknowledge authority and to obey God, if we are to quit we leave with goodwill.
Exo 4:19 And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.
Exo 4:20 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.
Moses was called to be the mediator and the deliverer of his people, but the time had to be right. When he killed the Egyptian to deliver a Jew, it was not the right time.
Exo 2:13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?
Exo 2:14 And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.
At that time Moses was rejected and it would be forty years before his call would come to deliver Israel. The time had come, those who sought to kill him were dead and he took his wife and son with his rod and returned to Egypt.
When Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt because king Herod wanted to kill the new born king. They were told to return by an angel because Herod was dead.
Mat 2:13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
Mat 2:14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
Mat 2:15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
Satan is still trying to kill those who serve God. Is it any wonder that Moses did not want to go alone to face Pharaoh? We must remember that when we face a "Pharaoh" obstacle that God is with us to overcome. The right way to overcome is through trusting God.
Exo 4:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.
Exo 4:22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
The LORD reminds him of what he is to do and tells him that Pharaoh's heart would be further hardened by the LORD. The LORD will give a person over to their bad choices. Paul speaks of those who do not obey God and who continue to sin.
Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
He was to speak to the Pharaoh through Aaron that Israel is considered to be God's son, even his firstborn. You do not want to offend a Father who is God, the protector of his children.
Deu 14:2 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.
Exo 4:23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.
The LORD will warn Pharaoh that if he doesn't release His son, the Hebrews, that He would destroy Pharaohs first born and the first born of the Egyptians, even of the animals.
Exo 4:24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.
Exo 4:25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.
The way was blocked with a feeling that God sought to kill him.The reason was that Moses had failed to circumcise his son; he had not kept the Abrahamic covenant of circumcision for sin. Sin brings death. If we are doing something wrong the LORD will close the way for us. If we continue, we risk judgement and even death. Remember how the angel of the LORD blocked Baalam's donkey?
Num 22:31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.
Num 22:32 And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:
Exo 4:26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.
Exo 4:27 And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him.
Moses meets Aaron, his brother and spokesman at Mt. Horeb, or Sinai, the Mount of God, where the law would be given to Israel. They had been apart for forty years. A kiss was used in greeting one another. We use a handshake or a hug.
1Co 16:20 All the brethren greet you. Greet ye one another with an holy kiss.
Exo 4:28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him.
Exo 4:29 And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:
Exo 4:30 And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.
Exo 4:31 And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.
All was going as the LORD had planned. Moses and Aaron greeted the people of Israel, they did signs from God. The people responded with heads bowed and worship.
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