4:1 Moses is understandably hesitant. Though he believes in God's ability to perform this massive undertaking, he is unsure of his own ability to convince others of it. This is a common mistake: we forget that God's ability is our ability when we give His will authority in our lives.
God understands our timidity, our trepidation. While our faith is under development, we still experience feelings of powerlessness. We are believed in by God; our dreams and efforts are taken seriously by Him but we do not always believe in ourselves or take ourselves seriously.
Standing before Moses is the massive task and even if he has the faith in God to understand it, he does not necessarily understand his place in it. If Moses is having a difficult time even taking himself seriously he knows he cannot expect others to do so either.
Moses's humility prods him toward caution and preparedness. He asks God how he should respond when others, perhaps reasonably, challenge his truthfulness.
4:2 So God works to assuage Moses's fears. He asks Moses: What is that in your hand? Moses answers that it is a rod.
4:3 God instructs Moses to toss his rod onto the ground, Moses listens and immediately the rod turns into a serpent. Terrified, Moses runs away from it. The serpent represents our fears. We discard our power (symbolized by the rod) because we are terrified to be our most powerful selves. There are so many things we want to do but tell ourselves we cannot. Moses runs away from the serpent... he runs away because of fear.
4:4 God instructs Moses to pick up the serpent by the tail. God instructs us to be strong and to be brave and to be wise. As soon as Moses develops the courage to pick up the serpent, it returns to being a rod. A symbol of power. We must never run away from something because it makes us feel weak; we are strong. Do not let fears become a barrier between dream and achievement.
4:5 God gives Moses this rod-serpent-rod tool to exemplify to the children of Israel that he was indeed appointed by God for this mission of rescuing them. The spectacle of it alone, even without the metaphor, would be enough to convince them.
4:6-8 Yet God doubly equips Moses to be successful in convincing them. After all, humans are stubborn and often wary. God has Moses place his hand on his chest and draw it back out. When Moses does this, his arm appears to be damaged. God tells Moses to again place his hand on his chest and draw it back out again. This time is it healed. This is the second sign God gives Moses to deliver as proof.
4:9 God gives Moses a third tool for proof: if anyone is still unconvinced after the first two signs, Moses is the take water out of river and pour it on the earth. God tells Moses that the water will pour out blood-red. Our God is the God of life. He is our living water... from him comes these bodies of ours make up of skin, blood and bone. In essence, Moses will metaphorically be drawing life out of the water.
4:10 Moses still has concerns about himself. Who among us does not have self-doubt? Short-comings, disabilities, inabilities which hinder us from success? Moses is aware of his and he's nervous that his inabilities will disallow God's will to come through him into the world.
Moses explains to God that he is not an eloquent man. Perhaps we have had this conversation with God before: God I trust you. I hear you. I want to be useful to you but I know that I am not enough. I know that I am not capable. And then we follow that with a list of reasons why.
We are so focused on all of the ways we are insufficient, we forget that God's ability, His sufficiency, overrides all of our short-comings. He chooses us for great work, fully aware of our flaws and foibles. Moses is another example to us that God chooses ordinary people to do extraordinary things on his behalf. What makes Moses great and capable of greatness is his humility in faith. The same is true for us.
Not only am I not a charismatic and convincing speaker, Moses explains, (even though God already knows him intricately) I am also a slow speaker. There is a disconnect between Moses's thoughts and words; it takes him a while to form his thoughts into coherent words.
4:11-12 God, the loving parent that He is, tries to comfort Moses. He explains He has created humans and humans ability to speak. He therefore retains power over those things. Moses is told by God not to worry. Luke 12:25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? He will be Moses's ability. He will be Moses mouth; He will orchestrate the thoughts and transform them into words and speeches. He will be the instructor, constantly with Moses.
4:13 Moses requests a helper in the flesh. Moses is developing his own faith throughout this journey and it must be highlighted. God trusts Moses even when Moses does not yet fully trust God. There is a misconception that a person must be mighty in a church or a prominent figure in a religion to do godly work, to prophesy, to communicate with Him, to be appointed by Him. Moses is an orphan. He has killed a man. He has let fear and anger redirect his life. He has a speech impediment. His faith is there but it is not yet strong or deep enough. Yet God still chose Him because God knows our potential. He wants to walk us through a journey of faith and self-discovery. He wants to strengthen us, to encourage us to utilize that potential.
4:14 God is disheartened when we do not fully trust him but he still provides. He answers Moses' request because he has promised this in John 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. Moses meets the qualifications to receive this promise.
Filling his request, God chooses Moses's brother Aaron to be his mouthpiece. Notice how quickly God lets it be known that he is familiar with Aaron; immediately he comes up with this person who he already knows is an eloquent speaker. Not only that but God knows the comings-and-goings of Aaron's steps. Even in a personal and intricate conversation, God is simultaneously fully aware of every atom in the infinite, expanding universe.
The fact that Aaron is already journeying toward Moses suggests to us that God already knew that Moses would request his help. We have the blessed opportunity to take advance of His omniscient, omnipotent Will and allow it to absorb us, our lives past, present and future.
4:15-16 God promises to be the reinforcement behind all of Aaron and Moses's words. He's going to guide them. He promises to be a teacher in all moments; He never leaves us on our own: He helps us to endure and interpret our circumstances.
4:17 God reminds Moses to pick up the rod. It will be a constant source of strength and faith and power for Moses. Ironically, Moses requested signs to convince others of his calling. God knows that this rod will serve to convince Moses himself of his own calling. God knows that we need constant comfort and reassurance from Him.
4:18 Moses's strength becomes truly apparent at this point. God has told him the plan, equipped him with the materials and encouragement to carry it out... and now Moses must begin to actually initiate it. He must actively change his entire life. Moses believes himself to be weak but he does not hesitate to follow God's direction and that is pure strength. He doesn't put it off. He doesn't begin to doubt or deflate. He returns to his father-in-law and requests departure. He tells Reuel that he wishes to return to Egypt to see if Jacob's ancestors are still alive.
Reuel permits Moses to go in peace.
4:19 Having begun his journey, God continues to lead Moses and provide assistance. Enough time has passed that Moses's crimes are forgotten, his accusers have all died. He now has the ability to walk into Egypt a free man. What truly makes Moses a free man is his faith. It is not by happenstance that his enemies are no longer alive. God arranges the circumstances of our lives to produce and encourage our success. Moses is not only free from his enemies, from the law, but he is also free from his fears, from his self-consciousness (and these are often our most fierce enemies).
4:20 With his wife, Zipporah and children loaded onto a donkey, Moses returns to Egypt. In his hand is the rod, he is following God's instruction exactly.
4:21 God instructs Moses to show his signs (the rod, the arm, and the water) in Pharaoh's view. This particular Pharaoh is an evil man; living in opposition to God and causing a lot of injustice because of it.
There are always deeper elements to God's plan than we realize. God tells Moses that he will harden Pharaoh's heart causing Pharaoh to grip more tightly to the children of Israel. This is perhaps necessary because God needs to implement example not only to Pharaoh but also to the society he has influenced and allowed to be cruel.
If Pharaoh relents easily after seeing Moses's signs, the children of Israel would benefit but the entire corrupt society of people in Egypt would not have learned any compassion. God needed to ensure the circumstances that would enable the largest number of people to learn the biggest lesson: Only compassion persists. The forthcoming plagues would serve as evidence that living unjustly would continuously and inevitably lead to struggle and despair.
4:22-23 God has a lesson for all of the generations of the world. The children of Israel represent his firstborn: through them (us) would come the messiah but also the first spiritual connection between God and child. Before this faith came into the heart of Adam or Noah or anyone else, there was no personal relationship between humans and God; we did not realize His presence.
If Pharaoh refuses to concede, which we know he will, his own firstborn will be taken. Some things to remember: 1) No soul dies after it leaves Earth. God knows that this life is temporary and the spiritual life is our true life. Pharaoh's son does not die but instead relocates. 2) God needs to show an example that the products of evil will not be allowed to continue. Within these accounts are metaphors and symbols.
4:24-26 The brevity of verses explaining this argument between Zipporah and Moses causes us to miss the information leading up which caused it. In some way, Moses and Zipporah were not raising their son (seemingly due to circumcision) in the manner God recommended. It is important to God not only that we are decent humans but also that we raise our children to be (in this context circumcision was symbolic of purity of faith; it set others apart from those who absorbed this particular spiritual philosophy).
4:27-28 God arranged for Aaron to meet Moses; they happily greeted each other and Moses fills Aaron in on the divine-directive he received from God.
4:29-30 Aaron complies and he and Moses meet with the elders of the children of Israel (as God instructed Moses to do). Aaron, Moses's helper and mouthpiece did the speaking for him. They showed the elders the signs from God.
4:31 The children of Israel (Jacob's ancestors enslaved in Egypt) were convinced by Moses and Aaron's presentation. In gratitude and joy they bowed down and thanked God for hearing their prayers.
