Exodus4

Moses expresses doubt about Israel's belief, so the LORD grants him three miraculous signs: a rod turning into a serpent, a hand becoming leprous and then healed, and water turning to blood. When Moses further objects to his lack of eloquence, God appoints Aaron as his spokesman. Moses then departs for Egypt, where he and Aaron gather the elders of Israel, perform the signs, and the people believe and worship the LORD.

Moses' First Objection: The Signs of Authority

Moshe replied, "But I'm certain they won't believe me, and they won't listen to what I say, because they'll say, 'ADONAI did not appear to you.'"

ADONAI answered him, "What is that in your hand?" and he said, "A staff."

He said, "Throw it on the ground!" and he threw it on the ground. It turned into a snake, and Moshe recoiled from it.

Then ADONAI said to Moshe, "Put your hand out and take it by the tail." He reached out with his hand and took hold of it, and it became a staff in his hand.

"This is so that they will believe that ADONAI, the God of their fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz'chak and the God of Ya'akov, has appeared to you!"

Furthermore ADONAI said to him, "Now put your hand inside your coat." He put his hand in his coat; and when he took it out his hand was leprous, as white as snow.

Then God said, "Now put your hand back in your coat." He put his hand back in his coat; and when he took it out, it was as healthy as the rest of his body.

"If they won't believe you or heed the evidence of the first sign, they will be convinced by the second.

But if they aren't persuaded even by both these signs and still won't listen to what you say, then take some water from the river, and pour it on the ground. The water you take from the river will turn into blood on the dry land."

Moses' Second Objection: Aaron Appointed Spokesman

Moshe said to ADONAI, "Oh, Adonai, I'm a terrible speaker. I always have been, and I'm no better now, even after you've spoken to your servant! My words come slowly, my tongue moves slowly."

ADONAI answered him, "Who gives a person a mouth? Who makes a person dumb or deaf, keen-sighted or blind? Isn't it I, ADONAI?

Now, therefore, go; and I will be with your mouth and will teach you what to say."

But he replied, "Please, Lord, send someone else - anyone you want!"

At this, ADONAI's anger blazed up against Moshe; he said, "Don't you have a brother, Aharon the Levi? I know that he's a good speaker. In fact, here he is now, coming out to meet you; and he'll be happy to see you.

You will speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I will be with your mouth and his, teaching you both what to do.

Thus he will be your spokesman to the people, in effect; for you, he will be a mouth; and for him, you will be like God.

Now take this staff in your hand, because you need it to perform the signs."

The Return to Egypt

Moshe left, returned to Yitro his father-in-law and said to him, "I beg you to let me go and return to my kinsmen in Egypt, to see if they are still alive." Yitro said to Moshe, "Go in peace."

ADONAI said to Moshe in Midyan, "Go on back to Egypt, because all the men who wanted to kill you are dead."

So Moshe took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and started out for Egypt. Moshe took God's staff in his hand.

ADONAI said to Moshe, "When you get back to Egypt, make sure that you do before Pharaoh every one of the wonders I have enabled you to do. Nevertheless, I am going to make him hardhearted, and he will refuse to let the people go.

Then you are to tell Pharaoh: 'ADONAI says, "Isra'el is my firstborn son.

I have told you to let my son go in order to worship me, but you have refused to let him go. Well, then, I will kill your firstborn son!"'"

The Circumcision Crisis

At a lodging-place on the way, ADONAI met Moshe and would have killed him,

had not Tzipporah taken a flintstone and cut off the foreskin of her son. She threw it at his feet, saying, "What a bloody bridegroom you are for me!"

But then, God let Moshe be. She added, "A bloody bridegroom because of the circumcision!"

The Leaders Meet and the People Believe

ADONAI said to Aharon, "Go into the desert to meet Moshe." He went, met him at the mountain of God and kissed him.

Moshe told him everything ADONAI had said in sending him, including all the signs he had ordered him to perform.

Then Moshe and Aharon went and gathered together all the leaders of the people of Isra'el.

Aharon said everything ADONAI had told Moshe, who then performed the signs for the people to see.

The people believed; when they heard that ADONAI had remembered the people of Isra'el and seen how they were oppressed, they bowed their heads and worshipped.

Study Notes for Exodus 4

Verse 1

Moses voices his fear that the enslaved Israelites, having endured decades of silence, will not believe that Yahweh has truly appeared to him. This objection prompts God to provide tangible proof.

Verse 3

The transformation of the rod into a serpent (Hebrew: *nāḥāš*) and back demonstrates God’s power over life and creation, establishing the first sign of Moses' divine authority.

Verse 5

The purpose of the signs is specifically tied to the covenant identity of God, assuring the people that the God of the Patriarchs is indeed the one commissioning Moses.

Verse 6

The second sign involves leprosy, a severe ritual impurity and physical affliction. This demonstrates God’s control over health, disease, and the ability to restore life and purity.

Verse 9

The third sign, turning water to blood, foreshadows the first plague in Egypt (Exodus 7:19-21) and demonstrates God's power over the Nile, the source of Egypt's life and a revered deity.

Verse 10

Moses raises his second, more personal objection, citing a genuine struggle with public speaking or a speech impediment, highlighting his profound sense of inadequacy for the mission.

Verse 11

God counters Moses’ lack of confidence by asserting divine sovereignty over all human abilities, reminding Moses that the Creator controls whether a person speaks, hears, or sees.

Verse 13

Moses makes a final, desperate refusal, asking God to send anyone else. This rejection of the divine call provokes God's anger (v. 14).

Verse 14

God, while angered by Moses’ lack of faith, accommodates his weakness by appointing Aaron. Aaron, a Levite, will serve as Moses' prophet and official spokesman.

Verse 16

This verse defines the relationship: Aaron will be Moses' 'mouth' (spokesman/prophet), and Moses will function 'instead of God' (transmitting the divine word directly) to Aaron.

Verse 17

The rod, now termed 'this rod,' becomes the designated instrument of divine power, symbolizing Moses' authority to perform the wonders.

Verse 18

Moses secures Jethro's blessing for his departure, maintaining the appearance of a simple family visit rather than revealing the full scope of his divine mission.

Verse 19

God assures Moses that the men who sought his life (likely agents of the previous Pharaoh, cf. Ex. 2:15) are dead, clearing the way for his safe return to Egypt.

Verse 20

Taking the 'rod of God' emphasizes that Moses is not merely a traveler but a divinely commissioned agent carrying the instrument of Yahweh’s power.

Verse 21

This verse introduces the central theological conflict: God will actively harden Pharaoh’s heart. This action is not arbitrary, but ensures that the resulting display of divine power will be magnified for all nations to witness.

Verse 22

The declaration that Israel is God's 'firstborn son' establishes a unique, privileged covenant relationship, justifying God's demand for their release and framing Pharaoh's refusal as an act of cosmic rebellion.

Verse 23

The threat against Pharaoh’s firstborn is announced here, setting up the tenth and final plague as a direct, reciprocal judgment for holding captive God’s 'firstborn.'

Verse 24

This mysterious passage shows that God initiates judgment against Moses for neglecting the covenant sign of circumcision for his son, stressing that obedience must precede the ministry.

Verse 25

Zipporah acts quickly, performing the required circumcision to avert divine wrath. Her dramatic action and words ("a bloody husband") likely reflect the intensity and gravity of the covenant demand.

Verse 27

Aaron, instructed by God, meets Moses at the 'mount of God' (Horeb/Sinai), confirming the unified divine origin of their mission before they enter Egypt.

Verse 30

Aaron, utilizing his eloquence, delivers the message, while Moses provides the necessary authentication by performing the commanded signs before the people.

Verse 31

The immediate belief and worship show that the signs, combined with the message that God had 'visited' their affliction, successfully convinced the elders and people of Israel.

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Exodus4

Moses' First Objection: The Signs of Authority

Moses' Second Objection: Aaron Appointed Spokesman

The Return to Egypt

The Circumcision Crisis

The Leaders Meet and the People Believe

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