After the events of the Exodus Moses led all of Israel in singing the following song, “I will sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him. The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is His name. Pharaoh's chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea. The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble. At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’ You blew with your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?”
Question: how did Moses first learn that God is a God who of wonders? Answer: long before Moses saw God’s wonders in Egypt, and long before Moses saw God’s wonders by the Red Sea, Moses learned of God’s wonders at the burning bush.
In our passage today, Exodus 4:1-9, we see this very thing. We’ve been with Moses before the burning bush for two weeks now. Last week we looked at the glories and beauty of the Divine Name given in 3:14, and the week before we looked at all of chapter 3 and the first three scenes of this great burning bush moment. Today we come to scene 4 in this great moment, found in 4:1-9.
The passage easily divides into two points, see first…
The Weakness of Man (v1)
“Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you.’”
As we begin, see Moses in v1. He now raises yet another objection. This is becoming quite the pattern for him. Back in chapter 3 we saw him fearfully doubt God in v11 and v13, inventing excuses twice even though God had revealed His own name to him and promised that His own presence would go with him into Egypt. More so, God promised to do wonders in Egypt to ensure Pharaoh let them go in v20. And God promised He would give Israel such favor that they’d plunder the Egyptians on the way out in v21-22. How does Moses respond to God after all these gracious promises and encouragements? He continues to question God. That’s what we see in 4:1. Even though God had said the people will listen to him, Moses stubbornly says they won’t listen to him or believe him.
There is a lot to learn in v1. First, I think this is ironic.[1] Why? Because Moses is accusing Israel of doing exactly what he is doing to God right now. Moses doesn’t believe God’s Word, he hasn’t trusted what God has said, and in his own lack of trust he believes Israel won’t trust what he says! Ironic indeed.
Second, I think this is almost reasonable.[2] We can understand why Moses would ask this question. He was the only eyewitness to this appearing of God in the burning bush, and now God was calling him to go tell God’s people of this moment and that their God was sending him to be their savior? Remember the last time Moses tried to speak to some Israelites about him saving them from the Egyptians? In 2:14 they told Moses, “Who made you a prince and judge over us?” It’s understandable, remembering how poorly the previous moment went, that Moses would doubt that they’d listen to him in the present moment. No one else is with Moses on this mountain before the burning bush, so he’d have to explain it to the Israelites and they’d have to trust his word about all of this, and they’d have to trust him in all of this.[3]
But third, I think that as understandable as this is, his doubt is inexcusable. Why? Because it’s a direct denial of what God said. Look at 3:18. There God tells Moses “…they will listen to your voice…” yet here in 4:1 Moses says, “They will not believe me or listen to my voice…” Understandable? Yes. Inexcusable? Yes.
Church, see in this the weakness of man. God has revealed so much to us in His Word, and yet we still doubt Him. God has been faithful to us on so many occasions, and yet we still doubt Him. God has proven again and again to us how trustworthy He is, how kind He is, how strong and true He is, and yet we still doubt Him. We look at Moses here and frown on him as he doubts and fears, while we so often do the same. What will it take for us to trust the Lord? Church, here in v1 is a sin to avoid. Doubting God and the fear of man, as understandable as it is, is also inexcusable. These things will rob much of your assurance and joy in the Christian life. Hear it plain and simple Church, God has given us no reason to doubt Him, He can be trusted. So…may you trust Him, and from trusting Him, may you cease fearing man.
The Wonders of God (v2-9)
“The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. But the Lord said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail”— so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand — “that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” Again, the Lord said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak.” So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. “If they will not believe you,” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”
As we saw before in chapter 3, now we see again in chapter 4 as God responds to Moses’ doubt graciously. In response to his doubt God gives Moses 3 signs.
The first sign comes in v2-5, the staff turned to serpent. This is the first time in Exodus we hear of Moses’ famous staff. In the time to come he will use this staff to bring many of the plagues onto Egypt, part the Red Sea to walk through, as well as close the Red Sea on Pharaoh’s armies. In many ancient and modern cultures the staff functions as a symbol of rule and authority and power. Such was the case in ancient Egypt as well. Numerous historical images show Pharaoh with a staff. Some of them even picture Pharaoh’s staff with an animal head on it. That Moses carries a staff doesn’t only remind us of his humble origins as a shepherd, it’s a subtle hint that Moses carries great authority. Authority that is greater than Pharaoh’s. Authority will take the form of an animal itself. All of this shows us God’s power. We know Moses isn’t going to Pharaoh in his own authority, but God’s. Pharaoh will be forced to learn this in time too. But be sure to note, for now these signs are given to Moses to do before Israel so that they will trust and believe what he’s saying.
The first sign is described simply enough. In v2 God asks what’s in Moses’ hand. Moses responds that it’s his staff. In v3 God tells him to throw it on the ground, he does, and wonder of wonders, it becomes a snake. Humorously Moses runs away from it. But God in v4 calls him back and tells him to pick it back up by the tail. Why the tail? I think it’s because God was encouraging Moses to trust Him. After all, grabbing a snake by the tail can be dangerous because its head can swing around and bite you (which is why most people who pick up snakes grab them near the head). Moses did this from a distance, notice that? It doesn’t say to walked up to it and grabbed it. It says he stretched out his hand, implying some distance, and picked it up. And as soon as he did this, the snake became a staff again. Then in v5 we read this sign was given so Israel would believe God had appeared to Moses.
God is teaching Moses a lesson in this staff to snake and back again sign. If God can do all these wonders with a stick, imagine what He could do with Moses! The apologist Francis Schaeffer once commented on this very thing in his book No Little People saying, “Many years ago when I was just a young pastor out of seminary, the study of Moses’ rod which I called ‘God so used a stick of wood’ was a crucial factor in giving me the courage to press on…consider the mighty ways in which God used a dead stick of wood. Though we are limited and weak in talent, physical energy and psychological strength, we are not less than a stick of wood. But as the rod of Moses becomes the rod of God (Exodus 4:20), so that which is me must become the me of God. Then I can become useful in God's hands. The Scripture emphasizes that much can come from little if the little is truly consecrated to God.”[4]
A bit further on in the same book he makes his point clearer saying, “Those who think of themselves as little people in little places, if committed to Christ and living under his lordship in the whole of life, may by God's grace change the flow of a generation. And as we get on a bit in our lives, knowing how weak we are, if we look back and see we have been somewhat used of God then we should be a rod surprised by joy.”[5]
This is what God is teaching Moses in his staff. That He can take the smallest and weakest of things in the sight of the world, and change the world with them. And it just so happens, God was about to do just that.
The second sign comes in v6-8, the leprous hand. This second sign is like the first in that it was something harmless changing into something harmful and then changing back again.[6] But it’s not a snake this time, its leprosy. That word, leprosy, is an umbrella term, referring to a variety of skin conditions, most of which were severely dangerous and contagious. Which is why later in Leviticus we find many laws and precautions given so that those infected do not come into contact with others. This shows us how dangerous leprosy could be, and this is the second sign God chooses to give to Moses.
Again its described simply enough. In v6 God tells Moses to put his hand into his cloak and pull it out. He does so and as he pulls his hand back out it is leprous, white as snow. In v7 God tells Moses to repeat this, and when he took his hand out this time it was back to normal. Then comes the interesting detail in v8. God says He is giving Moses this second sign, just in case they do not believe the first one. So this is a backup wonder. And for good reason. If they didn’t get it with the staff and snake, this sign surely would’ve stunned them. When Moses put his hand in his cloak and pulled it out all leprous-like people would’ve immediately recoiled from him, just like he did from the snake because no one would want to catch the disease. But when he put it back in and pulled it out as normal as can be. It would’ve been seen as nothing short of miraculous.
They would’ve been stunned at this second sign because in this culture there was a strong association between diseases and divine judgment.[7] Such that if you had leprosy of any sort it was assumed that the gods were judging you for something you did. That Moses can take his hand in and out of his cloak and go from unclean to clean in a moment would’ve been to the Israelites something only God can do.
The third and final sign comes in v9, the bloody Nile. This sign is different from the first two because its uncertain if Moses actually did this one. And it doesn’t seem to be about Moses’ credibility with the people either, about them believing him as the other signs are. Rather, this third sign seems to be of a grander sort, hinting at the fact that God has some serious threats in store for Egypt.[8]
Whether this third sign was reserved for the plagues alone, or if Moses did it unknowingly giving Israel a preview of what’s to come, v9 is clear. If they people don’t believe the first two signs, this greater third sign then comes in. Moses simply is to take water from the Nile, pour it on the ground, and it will become blood. Unlike the first two signs there is no going back in this third sign. Once the water becomes blood, it stays blood.
To Egypt this would’ve been terrorizing. Not only was the Nile a source of life to them, giving water to all their livelihood, but the Nile was revered as a god in Egypt. Seeing Moses take some of the water and turning it to blood would’ve been like watching one of their gods bleed. Lesson? God is the strongest god. No one is like Him, and no one messes with His people. As terrifying as this would’ve been to an Egyptian, it would’ve been bolstering for an Israelite. That God would not be overpowered by the gods of Egypt. That He would stand His own. And that He would defeat and lay waste to His enemies to save His people. Yes and amen.
These then are the signs and wonders God gives to Moses.[9] In the first sign something supportive becomes something serpentine. In the second sign something healthy becomes something harmful. And in the third sign something pure becomes something putrid. Each of them will resurface in the time to come. And each of them served the purpose of validating Moses’ credentials, and authenticating his ministry as being from the Lord.[10] Israel must believe Moses as we see Moses here struggling to believe God.[11] And it seems from what we read later on in v30-31 that Moses did all these signs before Israel, and that upon seeing them, they believed and bowed their heads in worship.
Conclusion:
As signs and wonders are present here, signs and wonders continue down through redemptive history, all the way to Jesus Himself, who performed many signs and wonders. Yet, He would rebuke the people for needing them or even demanding them in order to believe His message. Ultimately though, He would provide one of the greatest signs wonders ever seen in the history of the world.
The signs given to Moses were powerful, but they pale in comparison to the power displayed when Christ walked the earth. In Christ, we see God's power not just to change the nature of objects, but to change the nature of man. He takes our dead hearts and makes them alive. He takes our doubting and fearful souls and makes them whole. He gladly and willingly bears the leprosy of our sin on the cross and makes us clean forever.
So Church, let the wonders at the burning bush remind you of God's incredible power, and then let your gaze go forward and be fixed on the greatest sign and wonder of all, the cross and empty tomb of Jesus. Here our salvation was accomplished. Here all sins are defeated. Here all hopes are secured. Here all fears are dashed. Here all that is sad is declared to be untrue.
In the face of all the evil and dark sin in the world, this gospel shines bright. May the light of Christ lift up your soul afresh today.
[1] John D. Currid, Genesis 1:1-25:18 - EP Study Commentary (Holywell, UK: Evangelical Press, 2015) 91.
[2] Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory – Preaching the Word Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015) 95.
[3] John I. Durham, Exodus - WBC (Waco TX: Word Books, 1987) 44.
[4] Francis A. Schaeffer, No Little People (Grand Rapids, MI: IVP, 1975) 13-17.
[5] Schaeffer, 25.
[6] Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus – NAC (Brentwood, TN: B&H Publishing, 2006) 130.
[7] Stuart, 131.
[8] Stuart, 131.
[9] Victor P. Hamilton, Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023) 71.
[10] Ryken, 98.
[11] Durham, 46.
