Exodus 4

V 1: DOUBTS Moses begins to doubt, and asks what will happen if he is not believed or listened to, or if they say that God has not appeared to him. V 2–9: DEMONSTRATION God demonstrates His miraculous power to Moses by turning his rod into a serpent in Moses’ hand and then back again into a rod. He also makes Moses put his hand in his bosom and when it comes out, it is leprous. On putting it back, it is restored. He also tells him that a third sign will be to take water from the river which, when poured out, will become blood on the land. All these miracle gifts for Moses are signs so that people can believe in God as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and also that He has appeared to Moses. V 10–12: DISQUALIFIED? Moses still protests that, because he is not a good speaker, he is not qualified for the task. God tells him that He has made his mouth and that He will be with him and tell him what to say. V 13–17: DISBELIEF Still Moses does not believe God and asks Him to send someone else. God is angry but concedes to let Aaron go with him because he is a good speaker. Aaron, a Levite and Moses’ brother, will be pleased to see Moses. He will take the message from Moses to relay to others. With the rod, the signs, and the support of Aaron, God commissions an uncertain Moses to the task of delivering the Israelites from Egypt. V 18–20: DEPARTURE Moses bids Jethro farewell. God directs him to Egypt where those who sought his life are dead. He takes his wife and sons, and has the rod of God in his hand. V 21–23: DESIGN God tells Moses of His grand plan. Pharaoh’s heart will be hardened and he will not let the Israelites go into the desert to sacrifice to God, despite having seen the signs. Finally, his firstborn will be killed, because he will refuse to let the Israelites go until that point is reached. V 24–26: DEFENDED Moses has failed to have his son circumcised as a sign of the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses is in fear of losing his life when Zipporah acts to circumcise her son. The need to trust and obey God is thus laid on them all, right at the start of the mission. V 27–30: DEBRIEFING Aaron meets up with Moses who debriefs him about what God has said. He shows him the signs as well. Together they gather the children of Israel, and Aaron tells them what God has said to Moses and performs the signs in the presence of the people. V 31: DEVOTION The people believe and bow their heads to worship God who has visited His children after all this time. It is good to begin any great work of God by devotion to Him.