Exodus 4: Moses, Signs, and the Return to Egypt

Short answer: Exodus 4 continues Moses' call at the burning bush, where he raises objections and God answers with miraculous signs and the promise of Aaron as spokesman. Moses returns to Egypt with his family, and the chapter ends with the elders of Israel believing and worshiping.

What Exodus 4 says

Moses answers the call with a fresh objection: the people will not believe him or listen, and will say Yahweh has not appeared. God does not scold him but asks what is in his hand. The rod becomes a snake, and Moses runs from it. God tells him to take it by the tail, and it returns to a rod. Then God gives a second sign: Moses puts his hand inside his cloak, and it comes out leprous, white as snow. He puts it in again, and it is restored. A third sign is added: water from the river poured on dry land will become blood. These signs are given so that the people may believe that Yahweh, the God of their fathers, has appeared.

Moses objects again, saying he is not eloquent, slow of speech and slow of tongue. God answers by asking who made man's mouth, who makes one mute, deaf, seeing, or blind. He declares that he is Yahweh and promises to be with Moses' mouth and teach him what to speak. Moses then asks God to send someone else. Yahweh's anger burns against him, but he provides Aaron, Moses' brother, who can speak well and is already coming to meet him. Aaron will be Moses' spokesman, and Moses will be as God to him. Moses is to take the rod to do the signs.

Moses returns to Jethro, his father-in-law, and asks to go back to his brothers in Egypt to see if they are alive. Jethro sends him in peace. Yahweh speaks again in Midian, telling Moses to return because all the men who sought his life are dead. Moses takes his wife and sons, sets them on a donkey, and returns to Egypt with God's rod in his hand. Yahweh tells him to do all the wonders before Pharaoh, but that he will harden Pharaoh's heart so he will not let the people go. Moses is to tell Pharaoh that Israel is God's firstborn son, and that because Pharaoh refused to let him go, God will kill Pharaoh's firstborn son.

On the way, at a lodging place, Yahweh meets Moses and wants to kill him. Zipporah takes a flint, cuts off the foreskin of her son, and casts it at his feet, saying he is a bridegroom of blood to her. So Yahweh lets him alone. Then Yahweh tells Aaron to go into the wilderness to meet Moses. Aaron meets him on God's mountain and kisses him. Moses tells Aaron all Yahweh's words and signs. They gather the elders of Israel, and Aaron speaks the words and does the signs. The people believe, and when they hear that Yahweh has visited them and seen their affliction, they bow their heads and worship.

The chapter closes with the people's response of belief and worship, which contrasts with Moses' earlier fears. The signs God gave were effective, and the elders accepted the message. This sets the stage for the confrontation with Pharaoh that will follow, and it shows that God's word through Moses and Aaron was received by the people even before the deliverance began.

Verses that carry the chapter

• “Yahweh said to him, “What is that in your hand?” (Exodus 4:2) He said, “A rod.”” (Exodus 4:2) — God begins his answer to Moses' doubt with a simple question about what is already in his hand. This shows that God uses ordinary things to accomplish his purposes.
• “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?” (Exodus 4:11) — God asserts his sovereignty over human faculties, including speech and sight. This directly addresses Moses' excuse and reveals God as the creator who equips whom he calls.
• “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.” (Exodus 4:14) — Yahweh's anger burns against Moses, yet he provides Aaron as a spokesman. This shows both the seriousness of refusing God's call and his mercy in providing help.
• “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.” (Exodus 4:31) — The people believe and worship when they hear that Yahweh has visited them and seen their affliction. This is the first positive response to Moses' mission and confirms God's signs.

Gospel connection

Exodus 4 shows God equipping an unwilling messenger with signs and a spokesman, and it introduces the theme of Israel as God's firstborn son. This points forward to the greater deliverance accomplished through Jesus Christ, who is the true and faithful Son. Where Moses hesitated and Aaron spoke, Christ speaks and acts perfectly on behalf of his people. The signs given to Moses authenticated the message of deliverance from Egypt, and the miracles of Jesus authenticated the message of deliverance from sin. The hardening of Pharaoh's heart also anticipates the way the gospel is received or rejected, and the final plague on the firstborn foreshadows the cost of redemption, which Christ himself would pay.

Application

This chapter invites readers to bring their honest objections and fears to God, as Moses did, and to hear his answers. It challenges the excuse that we are not eloquent or capable enough, because God promises his presence and his words. It also calls us to trust that God sees affliction and visits his people, and to respond like the elders with belief and worship. Practically, it means stepping out in obedience even when we feel inadequate, relying on God's provision of help through others, and remembering that God's power is displayed in ordinary things like a rod or a hand.

Biblical fidelity check

The chapter does not tell us what Moses was thinking when he ran from the snake, nor does it explain why God wanted to kill Moses at the lodging place. It does not name the son who was circumcised, nor does it clarify the exact meaning of Zipporah's words about a bridegroom of blood. It does not describe how the signs were performed before the elders beyond saying Aaron did them. It also does not say that Moses fully overcame his fear or that he never doubted again. The text is silent on the details of the confrontation with Pharaoh that follows, and it does not explain how Pharaoh's heart was hardened beyond stating that God would harden it.

Questions for study

1. What objections does Moses raise in this chapter, and how does God answer each one?
2. Why do you think God gave Moses three signs instead of just one?
3. What does God's response in verse 11 reveal about his character and his power?
4. How does Aaron's role as spokesman help Moses, and what does this teach about teamwork in God's work?
5. Why do the people believe and worship at the end of the chapter, and what does that show about the importance of signs and words together?

Keep reading

Related studies: Exodus 1 Bible Study, Exodus 10 Bible Study, Exodus 11 Bible Study, Exodus 12 Bible Study.

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FAQ

Why did God want to kill Moses in verse 24?

The text does not explain God's reason, but it connects the incident to the circumcision of Moses' son. It shows that God takes his covenant seriously, even for his chosen leader.

What does it mean that Moses would be as God to Aaron?

It means Moses would speak God's words to Aaron, and Aaron would relay them to the people. Moses would represent God's authority in the communication chain.

Why did God harden Pharaoh's heart?

The text states that God would harden Pharaoh's heart so that he would not let the people go. This serves to display God's power and to bring about the deliverance of Israel through the plagues.