Exodus 4
McGeeCHAPTER 4THEME: Moses’ objections to being Israel’s deliverer; Aaron becomes Moses’ spokesman: Moses returns to EgyptThis chapter tells us of the return of Moses to Egypt and the marvelous way in which God deals with his misgivings. Moses has many questions in his mind and many hurdles to surmount but God has an answer for every objection of Moses.
Exodus 4:1
MOSES’ OBJECTIONS TO BEING ISRAEL’S DELIVERERMoses had several reasons why he felt he was the wrong man for the job God wanted him to do. In the days to come Moses would use the rod in many different ways. It would become his badge of authority. It would be a testimony to Israel and Egypt of God’s presence with Moses. It would also serve as a source of strength to him.
Exodus 4:3
When Moses cast the rod to the ground, it became a vicious monster. Note that there is no power in the rod. It is simply an instrument and can be used by Satan as well as by God. For example, liken a dollar bill to the rod. The dollar can be used to help pay for a murder or for prostitution, gambling, liquor, etc. In other words that dollar can become a serpent. Only when that dollar, or the rod, is put in the hand of a man of God who is moved by the power of God can it be used for God. This is an important lesson God is teaching in this passage.
Exodus 4:4
Many people consider the automobile, radio, and television to be of the Devil. The Devil can use all of these instruments, but they can also be used for God. Grab that serpent by the tail, friends! Use your automobile to take some dear saint to church or some of your unsaved friends to hear the Word of God preached. Support Christian programs on television and radio. Do your part to make the media an instrument of God rather than an instrument of the devil. You make them a rod in the hand of God. God called Moses to deliver the children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt. He trained him for forty years in the desert and commissioned him at the burning bush. This man, who at one time was so eager that he ran ahead of God, is now reluctant to accept his God-given office of deliverer. He began to give God his objections and God put a rod in his hand. He learns that when the rod is used according to the will of God in the hand of a man yielded to God, it becomes his badge of authority. In addition to the rod, however, God gives Moses another token of assurance and teaches him an important lesson as he is about to assume the great responsibility of leading Israel out of Egypt.
Exodus 4:6
The great message here is for Moses in particular. His bosom speaks of his inner life. Pro_4:23 says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” In other words, the hand will do the bidding of the heart. God wanted to put the rod in the hand of a man yielded to Him. Now he wants Moses’ hand to be in accord with his heart. The Lord made this statement in Mat_7:17: “Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.” Then in Luk_6:45 the Lord says, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” God is saying to Moses that He wants his hand and his heart.
God is saying the same thing to us today. God does not want our money and our abilities. God wants you and He wants me. If He gets us, then He will get the rest, too. Moses put his hand in his bosom and it came out leprous. He put his hand into his bosom again and it came out clean. Out of your heart will ultimately come what you are. God wanted that rod in the hand of a man yielded to Him. He wanted that man’s hand to move in the same direction as his yielded heart. This is the great lesson God had for Moses, the children of Israel, and for us today.
Exodus 4:10
Moses now offers another objection. He says, “Lord, you need an eloquent speaker for the job and I cannot speak well.” Moses is quite able to speak when it is time, but he is giving an excuse. He feels inadequate.
Exodus 4:11
God is telling Moses that He not only wants his hand but He wants his mouth also. He promises to be with Moses’ mouth and teach him what to say. Out of the heart proceed the issues of life and “what is in the well of the heart will come up through the bucket of the mouth.” God wanted the heart of Moses.
Exodus 4:13
Moses is trying to find a substitute.
Exodus 4:14
AARON BECOMES MOSES’ SPOKESMANMoses made a great mistake in asking God for a spokesman. God allowed it, but He did not want a divided command. You will find out that it caused problems as the children of Israel journeyed through the wilderness. In the Book of Numbers we will discover that Aaron was involved in making a golden calf for Israel to worship while Moses was on Mount Sinai! This was a terrible blunder on the part of Aaron, and it came as the result of a divided command. Other problems crop up in the Book of Numbers.
God did not need Aaron for the job of delivering the children of Israel; all He needed was Moses. Moses was reluctant to trust God all the way, and God had to send another man with him. We need to recognize our weakness, but when God calls us to do a job we should respond with trust. God will enable us to do the job He calls us to do.
Exodus 4:19
MOSES RETURNS TO EGYPTThere is a new Pharaoh in Egypt. The Pharaoh who had ordered Moses’ death is now dead and Moses can safely return to Egypt.
Exodus 4:20
The fact that God says He will harden Pharaoh’s heart has always presented a problem. This problem comes up again when we consider the plagues, and we will study it then in more detail and arrive at a satisfactory solution.
Exodus 4:22
God did not call the individual Israelite a son of God, but He did say of the nation, “Israel is my son, even my firstborn.”
Exodus 4:23
God was very lenient in dealing with Pharaoh and the Egyptians. He told Pharaoh at the beginning of the contest, “Either let my son Israel go or I will slay your son.” God sent many plagues before He touched the firstborn of Egypt, giving him ample time to acknowledge the true God and let Israel go, but Pharaoh did not avail himself of the opportunity.
Exodus 4:24
This is a strange verse, but it reveals the third real objection of Moses. He had neglected to circumcise his sons. Circumcision was the evidence or seal of the covenant of God made with Abraham. If Moses would proclaim God’s will to others, he too had to be obedient to God’s will. God had to forcibly remind Moses of his disobedience.
Exodus 4:25
This incident is difficult to understand, and we must retrace our steps somewhat to examine the problem. When Moses fled as a fugitive from Egypt, he went to the land of Midian. The Midianites were the offspring of Abraham and Keturah. These people were monotheistic. They were not idolaters but worshiped one God. Moses felt at home with these people. He became close friends with the priest of Midian who had seven daughters. Moses married his daughter Zipporaha name that sounds like a modern gadget to take the place of buttons. Actually, as we have said before, her name means “sparrow” or “little bird.” The wife of Moses was the first “Lady Bird.” God blessed Moses’ home in the beginning. His first son Gershom, meaning “stranger”, was born in Midian. Moses had been a stranger in his land, but he had made it his home. In Moses’ married life, unfortunately, there was a problem. God called Moses at the burning bush and commissioned him to go to Egypt. Pharaoh was dead and it was safe for Moses to return. As Moses started his journey to Egypt, God attempted to kill him. Why? Moses had neglected the rite of circumcising his son. Circumcision was the badge and seal of God’s covenant with Abraham that was designed to teach the Israelites to have no confidence in the flesh. The flesh was to be cut away, and each Israelite was to place his trust in God. Gen_15:6, Psa_106:31, Rom_4:3, and Gal_3:6 tell us that Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him as righteousness. Isaac and Jacob followed the example of Abraham. They were Israelites by birth, but circumcision was the badge of it. It was an act of faith for them to perform that rite. Circumcision was the evidence that a man was the son of Abraham. It was an evidence of their faith. Apparently Zipporah had resisted the ordinance of circumcision, and Moses had not insisted upon it. Perhaps Moses did not feel this act was so important, and obviously his wife felt it was a foolish and bloody thing to do. At any rate, Moses did not want to precipitate a marital rift. Moses’ wife was not atheistic; she was monotheistic. She was simply resisting the ordinance of God, and Moses did not want to make an issue of it. Moses could stand up against Pharaoh, but he could not stand up against his wife. Moses could tell Israel when they were wrong, but he did not oppose his wife when she was wrong. Moses obviously thought he could get away with this area of disobedience. He just let it slide like many Christian workers do who neglect their own families while trying to fix up other people’s families. God intervened in Moses’ life. He waylaid him on the way to Egypt and revealed to him the seriousness of the situation. There is a real danger when husband and wife do not agree completely in spiritual matters. That is the reason Scripture warns against believers and non-believers getting married. It was Zipporah who performed the rite of circumcision upon their son to save the life of Moses. Therefore what she did was an act of faith on her part. She claimed the promise of the covenant with Abrahamthe redemption of blood with no confidence in the flesh. After the circumcision of their son, perhaps when they reached Egypt, Moses saw the problem, and sent her back home to be with her father. Later on the wilderness march we shall see that Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought Zipporah to him and they were reconciled.
Exodus 4:27
This is a great worship scene that we have here. These people come now to faith in God. And it will be on this basis that God will lead them out of the land of Egypt.