Exodus 4
Big idea: The argument continues, and God keeps answering. Moses says they will not believe him, so God gives him three signs drawn from what is already in his hand and on his body — a staff that becomes a snake, a hand that goes leprous and is healed, water that becomes blood. Moses says he is not eloquent, and God asks who made the mouth. Then Moses drops the objections and simply asks for someone else, and Yahweh's anger burns — but the answer is still provision: Aaron is already on his way. Then two dense episodes: God tells Moses to say to Pharaoh "Israel is my firstborn son" and names the last plague at the outset, and at a lodging place Yahweh meets Moses and seeks to kill him until Zipporah circumcises their son.
Chapter 4 ends with the elders and the people believing and bowing their heads to worship. Chapter 5 is the morning after: the first audience with Pharaoh, and the belief collapsing under doubled quotas.
4:1–9 — Three signs
Moses objects that they will not believe him or listen to his voice. God answers with a question — what is that in your hand? — and turns his shepherd's staff into a snake he must pick up by the tail; then makes his hand leprous inside his cloak and restores it. If they will not believe either sign, he is to take water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, where it will become blood.
1 Moses answered, “But, behold, they will not believe me, nor listen to my voice; for they will say, ‘Yahweh has not appeared to you.’” 2 Yahweh said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.” 3 He said, “Throw it on the ground.” He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses ran away from it. 4 Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand, and take it by the tail.” He stretched out his hand, and took hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand. 5 “This is so that they may believe that Yahweh, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” 6 Yahweh said furthermore to him, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.” He put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow. 7 He said, “Put your hand inside your cloak again.” He put his hand inside his cloak again, and when he took it out of his cloak, behold, it had turned again as his other flesh. 8 “It will happen, if they will not believe you or listen to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. 9 It will happen, if they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, that you shall take of the water of the river, and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take out of the river will become blood on the dry land.”
4:10–17 — Who made man's mouth?
Moses says he is not eloquent, neither before nor since God spoke to him — he is slow of speech and of tongue. God answers with a question that reframes the whole disability: who made man's mouth? who makes one mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, Yahweh? Now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what to say. Moses finally stops arguing and simply asks God to send someone else, and Yahweh's anger burns — yet the reply is still provision: Aaron the Levite speaks well and is already coming to meet you; you will be as God to him, and he will be your mouth.
10 Moses said to Yahweh, “O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” 11 Yahweh said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn’t it I, Yahweh? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak.” 13 Moses said, “Oh, Lord, please send someone else.” 14 Yahweh’s anger burned against Moses, and he said, “What about Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Also, behold, he is coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 You shall speak to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with your mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do. 16 He will be your spokesman to the people. It will happen that he will be to you a mouth, and you will be to him as God. 17 You shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”
4:18–26 — Israel is my firstborn — and a bridegroom of blood
Moses asks Jethro's leave and returns to Egypt with his wife and sons and the rod of God in his hand. God tells him two things on the road: perform all the wonders before Pharaoh, but I will harden his heart so he will not let the people go — and say to him, Israel is my son, my firstborn; let my son go that he may serve me, and if you refuse, I will kill your son, your firstborn. Then, at a lodging place, Yahweh meets Moses and seeks to kill him; Zipporah takes a flint, circumcises their son, touches Moses' feet with it and says, you are a bridegroom of blood to me — and he lets him alone.
18 Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19 Yahweh said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return into Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.” 20 Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. Moses took God’s rod in his hand. 21 Yahweh said to Moses, “When you go back into Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your hand, but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go. 22 You shall tell Pharaoh, ‘Yahweh says, Israel is my son, my firstborn, 23 and I have said to you, “Let my son go, that he may serve me;” and you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’” 24 On the way at a lodging place, Yahweh met Moses and wanted to kill him. 25 Then Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me.” 26 So he let him alone. Then she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.
4:27–31 — The people believed
God sends Aaron into the wilderness to meet Moses; they meet at the mountain of God and Aaron kisses him. Moses tells him everything, and together they gather the elders. Aaron speaks all the words Yahweh had spoken and does the signs in the sight of the people — and the people believe. When they hear that Yahweh has visited the children of Israel and seen their affliction, they bow their heads and worship.
27 Yahweh said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” He went, and met him on God’s mountain, and kissed him. 28 Moses told Aaron all Yahweh’s words with which he had sent him, and all the signs with which he had instructed him. 29 Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. 30 Aaron spoke all the words which Yahweh had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 The people believed, and when they heard that Yahweh had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).