Shadowland: Redemption: Week 4

Exodus 4

• 4:1 The concerns of Moses last time were born of the wisdom gained from 40 years in the dessert. But now that God has fully addressed them, Moses starts making excuses - beginning by contradicting what God had just said in 3:18!
• 4:2 Ignoring the disrespectful question, God proceeds with His instructions.

The 3 Signs

• 4:3,4 The rod is Moses support, a picture of God's supporting grace that he will need to depend on for the upcoming task. Casting away that support will leave him vulnerable to the Enemy. As Pink says, "the secret of overcoming Satan lies in leaning … in conscious weakness on our staff". Again, the rod is a type of the future sceptre of Judah, which was cast to the ground at the coming of Christ. Israel has been pursued by the Serpent ever since - until they once more say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!"
• 4:5,6 Leprosy speaks of sin. The hand is Moses instrument, as Moses is God's instrument. Because of sin in the heart, the chosen instrument is unfit for use - until cleansed by the power of God. Again, Moses is a type of Christ who was sinless, but bore our sin in his body, then was made whole again.
• 4:7 The Nile was the lifeblood of Egypt - but would also become a judgement.
• 4:8,9 - A contingency plan if I ever heard one.
• 4:10 "Slow of speech" - Moses had not yet learned that being slow to speak was a feature, not a bug! But Moses probably meant that Hebrew was not his native tongue, and making speeches would be difficult.
• 4:11 This was no barrier to the God of both Babel and Pentecost.
• 4:12 "Now therefore go" - a direct command.
• 4:13 "Send someone else". God's decrees cannot be altered, but like Jonah, Moses insists on a more difficult path. But, despite the backtalk, in the end Moses obeyed God.
• 4:18 Still not believing what God said, Moses fails to mention his meeting with God, or what God had promised to do.
• 4:19 God assures Moses that the threat on his own life is past.
• 4:21 God reiterates his instructions.
• 4:24-26 Apparently, there was a conflict between Moses and Zipporah over circumsizing their son as the covenant required. Zipporah was the one resisting, but it was Moses that God held responsible. In Exodus 18:2, we learn that Moses sent her back to her father at this point.
• 4:27 "The LORD said to Aaron" - 1 Samuel 2:27
• 4:29 God accomplished the end result He had promised.