*Exodus 4:1-17
Doubting himself, Moses is reassured by God and given a staff to perform miracles in order to convince the Israelites to follow him.
- Moses’ Doubts and God’s Responses:
- Moses expresses concern that the Israelites will not believe him or listen to his claim that the God of their ancestors has appeared to him.
- To address Moses’ concerns, God provides him with three signs to prove His divine commission.
- First Sign: The Staff Becomes a Snake:
- God instructs Moses to throw his staff on the ground. When he does, it turns into a snake. Moses flees from it.
- Then, God tells Moses to grab the snake by the tail, and when he does so, it turns back into a staff. This sign is meant to demonstrate God’s power over the natural and supernatural.
- Second Sign: Moses’ Hand Becomes Leprous:
- God tells Moses to put his hand inside his cloak. When Moses takes it out, it is leprous, white as snow.
- Upon putting his hand back inside his cloak and taking it out again, it is restored to normal. This sign illustrates God’s control over human health and disease.
- Third Sign: Water Turned to Blood:
- As a final sign, God instructs Moses to take some water from the Nile and pour it on the ground. The water turns into blood on the dry ground, symbolizing God’s authority over the elements and foreshadowing the plagues to come.
- Moses’ Reluctance to Speak:
- Despite these signs, Moses hesitates, claiming he is not eloquent and is slow of speech and tongue.
- God reassures him, reminding Moses that He will help him speak and will teach him what to say.
- Aaron is Appointed as Moses’ Spokesperson:
- Still reluctant, Moses asks the Lord to send someone else. In response, God becomes angry but offers a compromise.
- God tells Moses that his brother Aaron, who is eloquent, can speak for him. God says He will help both of them speak and will teach them what to do.
- Aaron will speak to the people for Moses, and Moses will act as God’s representative, performing the signs.
- Moses Takes the Staff of God:
- Moses is instructed to take the staff with which he will perform the signs, reinforcing the importance of God’s divine assistance in the mission ahead.
4:1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.
4:2 And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.
4:3 And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.
4:4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: 4:5 That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.
4:6 And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.
4:7 And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.
4:8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
4:9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.
4:10 And Moses said unto the LORD, O my LORD, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
4:11 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? 4:12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
4:13 And he said, O my LORD, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.
4:14 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.
4:15 And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.
4:16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.
4:17 And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.